During the past two days, some 45,000 people in Shaoguan city were victimized by the atrocious weather conditions apart from the death of one person and 24 other people injured.

In addition, the source noted, 4,149 house rooms were ruined and another 124 collapsed in a cyclone in the city of Shaoguan.

With a record precipitation of 119.6 millimeters, Nanxiong city saw more than 133.3 hectares of farmland inundated and 227 farm houses damaged on Saturday and Sunday. About 2,000 hectares of rice, peanut and other cash crops were also flattened by extreme weather in Nanxiong.

The local government has attached great importance to the disaster-relief effort. A team of officials from the provincial departments of civil affairs, water resources and telecommunications and some other sectors rushed to the disaster-stricken areas on Monday afternoon to direct the rescue and reliefeffort.

Meanwhile, the cities have made initiated emergency responses with immediate repairs done to damaged roads, water conservancy facilities and power supply facilities.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2003)